JP2007503738A - Multimedia broadcast multicast service method and apparatus for UMTS network - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing point-to-multipoint service (MBMS) to a mobile terminal UE2 moving from an area controlled by a first radio network controller SRNC10 to an area controlled by a second radio network controller DRNC10 Is done. Information regarding the transmission mode state indicating whether the second radio network controller DRNC10 supports the point-to-point communication mode or the point-to-multipoint communication mode is returned to the first radio network controller SRNC10. The information is used to determine whether MBMS data needs to be transmitted to the second radio network controller DRNC10. MBMS data is transmitted from the first radio network controller SRNC10 to the second radio network controller DRNC10 via the Iur interface only when the transmission state of the second radio network controller DRNC10 is point-to-point. Unnecessary data transmission is prevented between the first and second network controllers, and the radio resource efficiency between the second radio network controller DRNC10 and the mobile terminal UE2 is increased.
[Selection] Figure 7

Description

  The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing multimedia point-to-multipoint service from a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), and more particularly, to a single radio network controller (RNC). ) For providing a multimedia point-to-multipoint service to a terminal that moves from a region controlled by a wireless network controller to a region controlled by another radio network controller. The method and apparatus transmit radio bearer information between RNCs for efficient management of network and radio resources.

  FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional UMTS network structure. In such a UMTS network, a mobile terminal 2 or user equipment (UE) is connected to a core network 4 via a UTRAN (UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) 6. UTRAN 6 includes at least two radio network subsystems 8. Each subsystem 8 includes one RNC 10 and at least one Node B 12 controlled by the corresponding RNC 10. Node B 12 is an access point between UE 2 and UTRAN 6, receives uplink information transmitted from the physical layer of UE 2, and transmits downlink data to UE 2. Each RNC 10 is responsible for radio resource allocation and management, and is an access point between the UE 2 and the core network 4.

  If a particular UE 2 is active in the UMTS network 1, there is one RNC 10 that acts as a serving RNC 10 for it, which serves as an access point to the core network 4 for UE 2 data transmission. The other RNC 10 operates as a drift RNC. The connection between one UE 2 and UTRAN 6 can be achieved by the serving RNC 10 alone without the drift RNC, or may additionally require one or more drift RNCs. In any case, the RNC 10 connected to the Node B 12 via the lub interface is a controller RNC that controls the radio resources of the Node B, thereby establishing a point-to-multipoint relationship between the controlling RNC and the corresponding Node B Generate. The control RNC 10 controls traffic load and congestion in the corresponding cell, and controls code acceptance and code allocation for new radio links.

  Information can be transmitted between the UE 2 and the core network 4 via the UTRAN 6 at any time. In general, transmission of such information is performed through one RNC 10 which is a serving RNC, for example.

  Since UE2 is mobile, UE2 may move to the area (cell) of Node B 12 controlled by another RNC 10. In such a case, the function of the drift RNC 10 is required, whereby the UE 2 is connected to the serving RNC 10 via the drift RNC 10.

  FIG. 2A is a part of the UMTS network of FIG. 1 and shows a case where a normal connection is made between the UE 2 and the core network 4 via only the serving RNC (R1) 10. FIG. 2B illustrates a normal connection between the UE 2 and the core network 4 through a drift RNC (R2) connected to the serving RNC (R1). Note that the initial connection between UE2 and the core network is through the serving RNC (R1) 10 as shown in FIG. 2A.

  Referring to FIG. 2B, when UE2 moves to a cell controlled by drift RNC (R2) 10, the RRC connection is established via drift RNC (R2), but drift RNC (R2) is routed via the Iur interface. Connected to serving RNC (R1). Serving RNC (R1) 10 still controls UE2 and acts as an access point to higher layers, while drift RNC (R2) simply performs the function of user data routing or code allocation as a common resource. The serving RNC 10 and the drift RNC 10 are distinguished by logic related to the connection state between a specific UE 2 and a specific Node B 12.

  The serving RNC (R1) 10 controls data input through the radio interface or data transmitted to the UE 2 and allocates appropriate radio resources to provide the service. The radio resource management function is a control function related to a specific UE 2 and includes transmission channel establishment, handover determination, and open loop power control.

  A radio resource control (RRC) layer for each RNC 10 and UE 2 is defined on the third layer of the radio interface protocol. The RRC layer is a transmission and physical channel associated with the establishment, reconfiguration and release of a radio bearer (service provided by the second layer of the radio protocol) established to transmit data between the UE 2 and the core network 4 Responsible for controlling. The establishment of a radio bearer is a process of defining the operation of the protocol layer, such as the characteristics of a channel necessary for providing a specific service, and setting the calculation method of the service and its parameters.

  When the RRC layer of a particular UE2 and the RRC layer of the RNC 10 are connected for the exchange of RRC messages, the corresponding UE is said to be in the RRC-connected state. If there is no such connection, UE2 is in RRC idle mode. The serving RNC (R1) 10 of UE2 is determined when the RRC connection to the RNC is established.

  The RNC 10 recognizes and controls the corresponding UE 2 by the cell unit. The RNC 10 cannot recognize the existence of the UE 2 in the RRC idle mode. The core network (MSC or SGSN) 4 controls UE 2 in RRC idle mode by its location or routing area (area larger than one cell). While the UE 2 in the idle mode can receive point-to-multipoint service data such as MBMS (Multimedia Broadcast / Multicast Service) data, the UE 2 receives the general mobile communication service including voice and packet data. Must be in RRC-connected state.

  MBMS provides streaming or background services to multiple UEs 2 using a downlink-dedicated MBMS bearer service. In UTRAN 6, MBMS bearers utilize point-to-point (pt-p) or point-to-multipoint (pt-m) radio bearer services.

  As its name suggests, MBMS is performed in broadcast or multicast mode. In the broadcast mode, multimedia data is transmitted to all users in the service area, for example, a domain in which a broadcast service can be used. In the multicast mode, multimedia data is transmitted to a specific user group in the service area, for example, a domain in which a multicast service can be used.

  Conventional multicast mode transmission is illustrated in FIG. 3, which represents a parallel event of a specific UE2 and a specific MBMS. Referring to FIG. 3, UE2 provided with MBMS first completes a subscription procedure that establishes a relationship between UE2 and the MBMS provider. All subscribing UEs 2 receive service start notifications provided by the network and corresponding to a specific MBMS and informing the service inventory and related information provided to subscribing UEs 2.

  In order to join a particular group of UEs 2 that receive a particular MBMS, the UE “joins” the multicast group. Participating in a multicast group includes notifying the UMTS network 1 of the intention to receive a specific MBMS. In order to finish joining the group, UE2 performs a “leave” operation. Joining, joining, and withdrawal are performed by each UE 2 for each service, and can be performed before, after, or at any time during data transmission.

  For example, one or more sessions of a service can be generated sequentially while a specific MBMS is in progress, such as after a service start notification is transmitted or before a service stop notification. A session corresponds to a data transmission period. When the MBMS data source prepares for MBMS data transmission, the core network 4 informs the RNC 10 of the start of the session. For example, when it is determined that data transmission is impossible during an extended period such as a long idle period, the core network 4 notifies the RNC 10 of the session stop. Data transmission for a specific MBMS can be performed only in the time between session start and session stop, so that only the UE 2 that has joined the multicast group for the specific MBMS can receive the MBMS data.

  In the session initiation process, the RNC 10 that has received the session initiation from the core network 4 transmits an MBMS notification to the participating (participating) UE 2 at least once before the MBMS data transmission, whereby a specific MBMS is transmitted to the UE 2 in a predetermined cell. Inform the fact that the data transmission is imminent. At the start of the session, the RNC 10 recognizes and counts the UEs 2 that have joined in a specific cell.

  As a result of the counting process, the RNC 10 determines whether to establish a point-to-point radio bearer or a point-to-multipoint radio bearer according to a set threshold value. RNC 10 establishes a point-to-point MBMS radio bearer if the number of counted UE2 is less than or equal to the threshold, and establishes a point-to-multipoint MBMS radio bearer if the counted number of UE2 exceeds the threshold .

  Once the MBMS radio bearer is determined, the RNC 10 informs the UE 2 accordingly. If the count guarantees a point-to-point radio bearer, all UEs 2 that have joined for a particular service are required to transition to the RRC-connected state in order to receive MBMS data. On the other hand, since reception by the point-to-multipoint radio bearer is possible for the UE 2 in the RRC idle mode, such a transition is unnecessary if the point-to-multipoint radio bearer is established. If the counting process determines that there is no UE 2 that wants to receive the service, a radio bearer is not established to avoid unnecessary consumption of radio resources, and MBMS data is not transmitted.

  When MBMS data is received from the core network 4 for one session of a particular MBMS, the RNC 10 transmits the data using the established radio bearer. If the session stop is received, the RNC 10 releases the established radio bearer. A new radio bearer must be established for each subsequent session. If there are no more scheduled sessions, a service stop notification is transmitted.

  The MBMS transmission protocol of the above process is executed between the UE 2 and the core network (also at a higher layer) via the control RNC 10 for each service. If the UE2 remains in the cell controlled by the RNC 10 during RRC-connection, the protocol is executed based on the configuration of FIG. 2A, eg using only the serving RNC (R1). If the drift RNC (R2) 10 is required, the protocol is executed based on the configuration of FIG. 2B, and the UE 2 goes to the higher layer through at least one of the drift RNC (R2) and the serving RNC (R1). Connected.

  The RNC 10 that provides the MBMS recognizes and controls the UE 2 that is in the RRC-connected mode among the UEs 2 that participate in the specific MBMS in each cell. The RNC 10 creates a list of UEs 2 in RRC-connected mode for each MBMS in each cell. The inventory identifies each UE by its Radio Temporary Identifier (RNTI). Since the number of UEs 2 participating for a given control RNC 10 increases during the MBMS transition, the MBMS attach process is performed for each cell.

  FIG. 4 illustrates a conventional MBMS attach process when the RRC-connected mobile terminal 2 moves from the serving RNC (R1) 10 cell to the drift RNC (R2) cell. The serving RNC (R1) 10 transmits an MBMS attach request message to the drift RNC (R2), and the MBMS attach message includes an identifier for the previous cell, a specific MBMS, and the mobile terminal 2.

  If radio resources for managing the RRC-connected mode of the mobile terminal 2 can be allocated, the drift RNC (R2) 10 attaches the RNT1 of the mobile terminal to be included in the list of RRC-connected mobile terminals. To accept the request. Subsequently, the drift RNC (R2) 10 transmits an acknowledgment to the serving RNC (R1) via the MBMS attach response message, and the serving RNC (R1) 10 transmits the drift RNC (R2) using the point-to-point radio bearer. Then, the MBMS data is transmitted to the mobile terminal 2. If no radio resources are available, the drift RNC (R2) 10 rejects the request and transmits a negative response to the serving RNC (R1).

  As shown in FIG. 4, the drift RNC (R2) 10 transmits an affirmative or negative response to the serving RNC (R1) depending on whether or not the RRC-connected mode of the specific mobile terminal 2 can be maintained. . In the case of an acknowledgment, the serving RNC (R1) 10 continuously transmits MBMS data to the mobile terminal 2 using a point-to-point radio bearer.

  However, if MBMS data is being transmitted from the drift RNC (R2) 10 using a point-to-multipoint radio bearer, despite the availability of MBMS data through the drift RNC (R2) point-to-multipoint radio bearer, The mobile terminal 2 is still provided with MBMS data via the serving RNC (R1) 10 point-to-point radio bearer. The dedicated resources of the point-to-point radio bearer are unnecessarily used, thereby increasing the data flow between the serving RNC (R1) 10 and the drift RNC (R2), and between the drift RNC (R2) and the mobile terminal 2 Reduce the efficiency of radio resources in between.

  Therefore, when a mobile terminal moves from a cell controlled by a serving RNC to a cell controlled by a drift RNC, a method for providing point-to-multipoint service to the mobile terminal via an available point-to-multipoint radio bearer and Equipment is needed. The present invention fulfills these and other needs.

  The present invention provides a point-to-multipoint service to a mobile terminal moving from an area controlled by one network controller such as a serving RNC to an area controlled by another network controller such as a drift RNC. And more particularly, information indicating whether the drift RNC provides a point-to-point radio bearer or a point-to-multipoint radio bearer for service from the drift RNC to the serving RNC. A method and apparatus for facilitating transmission and preventing a serving RNC from providing point-to-multipoint service data to a drift RNC when the drift RNC provides service via a point-to-multipoint radio bearer.

  Additional features and advantages of the invention will be disclosed in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and obtained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

  In order to achieve these and other advantages in accordance with the objectives of the present invention, as shown and broadly described herein, the present invention provides for specific point-to-multipoint services provided to mobile terminals. Providing information about the communication mode supported by the second network controller to the first network controller, and point-to-multipoint service data is provided to the second network via the point-to-point radio bearer, or It is implemented as a method and apparatus that facilitates determination by the first network as to whether it is provided directly by the core network. Specifically, when the mobile terminal moves from the region controlled by the serving RNC to the region controlled by the drift RNC, the serving RNC provides an attach request message for a specific point-to-multipoint service to the drift RNC, The drift RNC provides an attached response message to the serving RNC that includes information about the communication mode supported for a particular point-to-multipoint service, and the serving RNC provides point-to-multipoint service data to the drift RNC. Determine whether or not.

  In one aspect of the invention, a method for providing point-to-multipoint service to a mobile terminal is provided. When the mobile terminal moves from the first cell controlled by the first network controller to the second cell controlled by the second network controller, the second network controller supports the point-to-point communication mode. Receiving from the second network controller information indicating whether to support a point-to-multipoint communication mode, and based on the information, data related to the point-to-multipoint service is received from the first network. Determining whether to transmit from the controller to the second network controller.

  The point-to-multipoint service may be a multimedia broadcast / multicast service (MBMS). Information indicating whether the second network controller supports the point-to-point communication mode or the point-to-multipoint communication mode is received in the point-to-multipoint service attach response message.

  Preferably, if the second network controller supports a point-to-multipoint communication mode, the first network controller does not transmit a point-to-multipoint service to the second network controller, and the second network controller When supporting the point-to-point communication mode, the first network controller transmits the point-to-multipoint service to the second network controller. Preferably, the first network controller is a serving network controller and the second network controller is a drift network controller.

  In another aspect of the invention, a method for providing point-to-multipoint service to a mobile terminal is provided. If the mobile terminal moves from the first cell controlled by the first network controller to the second cell controlled by the second network controller, the method supports the point-to-point communication mode. Or transmitting information indicating whether to support the point-to-multipoint communication mode to the second network controller, directly via the second network controller, or via the first network controller and the second network controller. Receiving point-to-multipoint service data from a core network and transmitting point-to-multipoint service data to a mobile terminal.

  The point-to-multipoint service can be MBMS. The point-to-multipoint service attach response message transmitted in response to the point-to-multipoint service attach request message includes a second network controller supporting a point-to-point communication mode, or a point-to-multipoint service attach request message. Information indicating whether the point communication mode is supported can be included.

  Preferably, if the second network controller supports a point-to-multipoint communication mode, the second network controller receives point-to-multipoint service data directly from the core network via the second network controller, and the second network controller When supporting the two-point communication mode, point-to-multipoint service data is received from the core network via the first network controller and the second network controller. Preferably, the first network controller is a serving network controller and the second network controller is a drift network controller.

  In another aspect of the invention, a method for providing point-to-multipoint service to a mobile terminal is provided. The method points from the first network controller to the second network controller when the mobile terminal moves from the first cell controlled by the first network controller to the second cell controlled by the second network controller. Transmitting a two-multipoint attach request message and information indicating whether the second network controller supports the point-to-point communication mode or the point-to-multipoint communication mode from the second network. Transmitting to the network and receiving point-to-multipoint service data at the second network controller directly from the core network via the second network controller or via the first network controller and the second network controller. And point-to-multipo And transmitting the cement service data to the mobile terminal from the controller to the second network.

  The point-to-multipoint service can be MBMS. Also, information indicating whether the second network controller supports the point-to-point communication mode or the point-to-multipoint communication mode can be included in the point-to-multipoint service attach response message.

  Preferably, when the second network controller supports a point-to-multipoint communication mode, point-to-multipoint service data at the second network controller is received from the core network via the second network controller; When the two network controller supports the point-to-point communication mode, the point-to-multipoint service data at the second network controller is received from the core network through the first network controller and the second network controller. Preferably, the first network controller is a serving network controller and the second network controller is a drift network controller.

  In another aspect of the invention, a wireless network subsystem is provided that provides point-to-multipoint service to mobile terminals. The wireless network subsystem includes a transmitter, a receiver, a storage unit, and a controller.

  The transmitter transmits point-to-multipoint service data to the mobile terminal and the second wireless network system. The receiver receives information indicating whether the second wireless network subsystem supports a point-to-point communication mode or a point-to-multipoint communication mode. The information storage unit stores information related to the communication mode supported by the second wireless network service system. The controller performs the method of the present invention to control the mobile terminal in the designated area, process the information received from the second radio network subsystem, and the mobile terminal from the designated area to the second When moving to an area controlled by the radio network subsystem, it is determined whether to transmit point-to-multipoint service data associated with the point-to-multipoint service to the second radio network subsystem.

  The point-to-multipoint service can be MBMS. The receiver also receives a point-to-multipoint service attach response message including information indicating whether the second wireless network subsystem supports the point-to-point communication mode or the point-to-multipoint communication mode. Can be adapted to do.

  Preferably, when the second radio network subsystem supports a point-to-multipoint communication mode, no point-to-multipoint service data is transmitted to the second radio network subsystem, and the second radio network subsystem is point-to-point. When supporting the point communication mode, the controller is adapted to transmit point-to-multipoint service data to the second radio network subsystem. Preferably, the controller is a serving network controller and the second radio network controller includes a drift network controller.

  In another aspect of the present invention, a wireless network subsystem is provided that provides point-to-multipoint service to mobile terminals. The wireless network subsystem includes a transmitter, a receiver, a storage unit, and a controller.

  The transmitter transmits a point-to-multipoint service to the mobile terminal, and information indicating which of a point-to-point communication mode and a point-to-multipoint communication mode is supported by the wireless network subsystem is the second wireless network. Transmit to subsystem. The receiver receives point-to-multipoint service data from the core network directly from the core network or via the second radio network subsystem. The information storage unit stores information related to the communication mode supported by the wireless network subsystem. The controller performs the method of the present invention to control the mobile terminal in the designated area, and when the mobile terminal moves from the area controlled by the second radio network subsystem to the designated area, point-to-point Information indicating which of a communication mode or a point-to-multipoint communication mode is supported is provided.

  The point-to-multipoint service can be MBMS. The receiver can also be adapted to receive a point-to-multipoint service attach request message from the second wireless network subsystem, and the controller can respond to the point-to-multipoint service attach request message in a point-to-point communication mode. Or adapted to provide information representative of which point-to-multipoint communication mode is supported. Also, the transmitter can be adapted to transmit a point-to-multipoint service attach response message to the second wireless network subsystem, and the controller can be adapted to provide information in the point-to-multipoint service attach request message. .

  Preferably, when point-to-multipoint communication mode is supported, point-to-multipoint service data is received directly from the core network, and when point-to-point communication mode is supported, point-to-multipoint service data is Received from the core network via the second wireless network subsystem. Preferably, the controller is a drift network controller and the second radio network subsystem includes a drift network controller.

  It is understood that the foregoing description of the invention and the following detailed description are all exemplary, and are provided to provide a more specific description of the invention as claimed. It should be.

  Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications can be made to the present invention. Accordingly, the present invention covers modifications and variations provided within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent unnecessary data transmission between the first and second network controllers and to increase the radio resource efficiency between the second radio network controller DRNC and the mobile terminal UE. .

  The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing point-to-multipoint service to a terminal that moves from an area controlled by one network controller to an area controlled by another network controller. Although the present invention is shown with respect to a mobile terminal, the present invention can be used if it is necessary to provide point-to-multipoint service to a device moving from an area controlled by a first controller to an area controlled by a second controller. It can be used at any time.

  In the following description of the invention, the transmission mode state of a specific point-to-multipoint service in which a mobile terminal has joined is an indication of whether the radio bearer is a point-to-point bearer or a point-to-multipoint bearer. . The transmission mode status information may be included in a point-to-multipoint service attach request response requested by the first controller to the second controller.

  In accordance with the present invention, a first network controller, such as a serving radio network controller (SRNC) 10, for example, is associated with a point-to-multipoint service, eg, an MBMS attach response message associated with an MBMS. A point-to-multipoint service attach response message is received. The MBMS attach response message is received from a second network controller such as, for example, a drift radio network controller [(DRNC: Drift Radio Network Controller, R2)] 10. The serving RNC (R1) 10 determines whether to provide MBMS data to the drift RNC (R2) using the transmission mode state information included in the MBMS attach response message.

  If the transmission mode state information represents a point-to-point radio bearer, the serving RNC (R1) 10 determines that the MBMS transmission needs to be communicated to the drift RNC (R2). If the transmission mode state information represents a point-to-multipoint radio bearer, the serving RNC (R1) 10 determines that MBMS transmission to the drift RNC (R2) is not required.

  Referring to FIG. 5, a method 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The method is applicable to the drift RNC (R2) 10 and receives an MBMS attach request message (S102); determines whether the requested service can be provided (S104); A step of expressing a positive response to the service request (S106), a step of attaching an indication of the transmission mode state supported by the MBMS attach response message (S108), and a step of expressing a negative response to the service request (S110). And an MBMS attach response message is transmitted to the serving RNC (R1) 10 (S112).

  In step S102, when the mobile terminal 2 moves from the region controlled by the serving RNC (R1) to the region controlled by the drift RNC (R2), the drift RNC (R2) 10 sends an MBMS attach request from the serving RNC (R1). Receive a message. The MBMS attach request message requests that a specific MBMS service be provided to the mobile terminal 2. In step 104, it is determined whether the MBMS service request can be accepted, for example, whether radio resources for maintaining the RRC connection of the mobile terminal 2 are allocated.

  When the MBMS service request is accepted, the drift RNC (R2) 10 moves to the mobile terminal identifier (U-RNTI) by setting the MBMS attach request message to “affirmative” in step S106. A list of terminals is attached, and transmission mode state information of the drift RNC (R2) is attached to the MBMS attach response message in step S108. The list of RRC-connected mode mobile terminals includes, for example, an identifier of the RRC-connected mode mobile terminal 2 for a specific MBMS provided to a mobile terminal that has joined a new cell to which the mobile terminal has moved. The transmission mode state information is obtained by checking whether the radio bearer providing MBMS to the mobile terminal 2 is point-to-point or point-to-multipoint.

  If the MBMS service request is not accepted, the drift RNC (R2) 10 sets the MBMS attach request message to “negative” in step S110, and the drift RNC (R2) rejects the MBMS attach request of the mobile terminal. . The U-RNTI identifier of the mobile terminal 2 is not attached to the list of RRC-connected mode mobile terminals. The transmission mode state information is omitted from the MBMS attach response message and includes a cause of negative response. The negative response cause information is that the MBMS can be received in the RRC idle mode, the MBMS cannot be received in the RRC-connected mode, or the resource for the drift RNC (R2) 10 to maintain the mobile terminal in the RRC-connected mode. Is notified to the mobile terminal 2.

  In step S112, the MBMS attach response message is transmitted to the serving RNC (R1) 10. The MBMS attach response message includes an acknowledgment to the service request and a transmission mode state information or a negative response to the service request.

  Referring to FIG. 6, a method 200 according to one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The method 200 is applicable to the serving RNC (R1) 10, includes receiving an MBMS attach response message (S202), and assuming an acknowledgment for the service request, RNC (R2 ) Determining the transmission mode state (S204), and transmitting the MBMS data to the drift RNC (R2) (S206) or not transmitting (S208).

  In step S202, an MBMS attach response message is received from drift RNC (R2) 10. The MBMS attach response message includes an acknowledgment to the service request and a transmission mode state supported by the drift RNC (R2) 10 or a negative response to the service request.

  To illustrate the method of the present invention, assume that the MBMS attach response message includes an acknowledgment and a transmission mode state. In step S204, the transmission mode state displayed for drift RNC (R2) 10 is determined.

  If the transmission mode state of the drift RNC (R2) 10 is point-to-point (ptp), it is determined that MBMS data should be transmitted to the drift RNC (R2) via the Iur interface. In step S206, MBMS data is transmitted to the drift RNC (R2) via the Iur interface.

  If the transmission mode state of the drift RNC (R2) 10 is point-to-multipoint (ptm), transmission of MBMS data through the Iur interface is not necessary. In step S208, MBMS data is not transmitted to the drift RNC (R2) 10.

  7 and 8 illustrate the two possible scenarios of FIG. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the user equipment 2 (UE) in the RRC-connected mode is changed from the cell controlled by the serving RNC (R1) 10 to the cell controlled by the drift RNC (R2). moved. Also assume that the drift RNC (R2) accepts an MBMS attach request from the serving RNC (R1) because the resources to maintain the RRC connection are available in the drift RNC (R2).

  The mobile terminal receives a specific MBMS via a point-to-point or point-to-multipoint radio bearer while maintaining the RRC-connection mode of the terminal itself via the serving RNC (R1) 10. When UE2 moves to a new cell, the serving RNC (R1) 10 transmits an MBMS attach request message to the drift RNC (R2). The MBMS attach request message includes the MBMS ID of a specific service, the cell ID of the serving RNC (R1) 10, and the U-RNTI information of the UE2.

  The drift RNC (R2) 10 receives the MBMS attach request message, and includes the MBMS ID including the transmission mode state information in addition to the MBMS ID of the specific service, the cell ID of the drift RNC (R2), and the U-RNTI information of the mobile terminal 2. Transmit an attach response message. The transmission mode state information indicates whether the resource to be allocated to the drift RNC (R2) 10 is a point-to-point radio bearer or a point-to-multipoint radio bearer. The serving RNC (R1) 10 receives the MBMS attach response message from the drift RNC (R2), and determines whether to transmit the MBMS data to the drift RNC (R2) using the transmission mode state.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the transmission mode state of the drift RNC (R2) 10 is point-to-point, and the serving RNC (R1) needs MBMS data transmission to the drift RNC (R2) via the Iur interface. judge. The serving RNC (R1) 10 transmits MBMS data to the drift RNC (R2) via the Iur interface, and the UE2 is provided with MBMS via the point-to-point radio bearer of the drift RNC (R2).

  As shown in FIG. 8, the transmission mode state of the drift RNC (R2) 10 is point-to-multipoint, and the serving RNC (R1) does not require MBMS data transmission to the drift RNC (R2) via the Iur interface. Is determined. The serving RNC (R1) 10 does not transmit MBMS data to the drift RNC (R2) via the Iur interface, and the UE2 is provided with MBMS via the point-to-multipoint radio bearer of the drift RNC (R2).

  FIG. 9 illustrates a block diagram of a UTRAN 300 according to one embodiment of the present invention. UTRAN 300 includes one or more radio network subsystems [(RNS) 325. Each RNS 325 includes a radio network controller (RNC) 323 and a plurality of Node-Bs (base stations) 321 controlled by the RNC. The RNC 323 handles radio resource allocation and management, and operates as an access point for the core network 4. The RNC 323 is also adapted to perform the method of the present invention.

  The Node-B 321 receives information sent from the physical layer of the mobile terminal 2 via the uplink, and transmits data to the mobile terminal via the downlink. The Node-B 321 operates as an access point or transmitter and receiver of the UTRAN 300 with respect to the mobile terminal 2.

  As described above, according to the method of the present invention, the drift RNC sends an MBMS attach response message including MBMS radio bearer information to the serving RNC so that the serving RNC can recognize the service transmission state of the cell to which the user equipment has moved. Transmit, thereby enabling the serving RNC to determine whether MBMS data transmission to the drift RNC is required. Unnecessary data transmission between the serving RNC and the drift RNC is prevented, and the efficiency of radio resources between the drift RNC and the mobile terminal is increased.

  It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the preferred embodiment of the present invention can be readily implemented, for example, using a processor or other data or digital processing device alone or in combination with external support logic. It is. The method of the present invention may be embodied as a computer readable program stored in a medium such as a CD-ROM, RAM, floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic optical disk.

  Although the present invention has been described in terms of mobile communications, the present invention can also be used in any wireless communication system that uses mobile devices such as PDAs and laptop computers with wireless communication capabilities. Also, the use of specific terms to describe the present invention is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to a particular type of wireless communication system, such as UMTS. The present invention can also be applied to other wireless communication systems that use different air interfaces and / or physical layers, such as TDMA, CDMA, FDMA, WCDMA, and the like.

  A method, apparatus or article of manufacture that uses standard programming and / or engineering techniques to generate software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof may be embodied as a preferred embodiment. As used herein, the term “product” refers to hardware logic [eg, integrated circuit chips, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.] or computer readable media [eg, Magnetic information storage media (hard disk drive, floppy disk, tape, etc.), optical information storage (CD-RON, optical disk, etc.), volatile and non-volatile memory devices (EEPROM, ROM, PROM, RAM, DRAM, SRAM, firmware, Code or logic embodied as programmable logic etc.].

  Code in the computer readable medium is accessed and executed by a processor. A code embodying a preferred embodiment can be accessed from a file server through a transmission medium or to a network. In such a case, the product on which the code is mounted includes a transmission medium such as a network transmission line, a wireless transmission medium, a signal that is transmitted through a space, a radio wave, and an infrared signal. Of course, those skilled in the art will recognize that numerous modifications can be made to such configurations without departing from the scope of the present invention, and the product will include any information-containing medium known in the art. You should understand that you can.

  The logic shown in the drawings is a specific operation that occurs in a specific order. As an alternative logic, certain logic operations may be performed in different orders, modified, removed, or steps may be added to the above-described logic to implement the preferred embodiment of the present invention unchanged. it can.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a general structure of a UMTS network. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a part of the UMTS network of FIG. 1 and illustrating a conventional connection in which a UE is connected to UTRAN only via a serving RNC. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a part of the UMTS network of FIG. 1 and illustrating a conventional connection for connecting a UE to a UTRAN via a drift RNC and a serving RNC. It is a figure which shows the conventional MBMS transmission in a multicast mode, Comprising: It is a figure which shows that one session of specific MBMS is transmitted to one UE. It is a figure which shows the conventional MBMS attachment process. 3 is a flowchart of a drift RNC method according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a flowchart of a serving RNC method according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating one-to-one service transmission according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating one-to-many service transmission according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a UTRAN providing a one-to-many service to a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

  2 ... UE, 4 ... core network, 6 ... UTRAN, 10 ... RNC, 12 ... Node B

Claims (32)

A method for providing point-to-multipoint service to a mobile terminal,
When the mobile terminal moves from the first cell controlled by the first network controller to the second cell controlled by the second network controller, a point-to-point communication mode provided by the second network controller Receiving from the second network controller information indicating any one of point-to-multipoint communication modes;
Determining whether to transmit point-to-multipoint service data from the first network controller to the second network controller according to the received information;
An MBMS method comprising:   The MBMS method of claim 1, wherein the point-to-multipoint is a multimedia broadcast / multicast service (MBMS) service.   The MBMS method of claim 1, wherein the information is transmitted through a point-to-multipoint service attach response message.   The MBMS method of claim 1, further comprising: not transmitting point-to-multipoint service data to the two network controllers when the information indicates a point-to-multipoint communication mode.   The MBMS method according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting point-to-multipoint service data to the two network controllers when the information indicates a point-to-point communication mode.   The MBMS method of claim 1, wherein the first network controller is a serving network controller and the second network controller is a drift network controller. A method for providing point-to-multipoint service to a mobile terminal,
When the mobile terminal moves from the first cell controlled by the first network controller to the second cell controlled by the second network controller, a point-to-point communication mode provided by the second network controller Receiving from the second network controller information indicating any one of the point-to-multipoint communication modes;
Receiving point-to-multipoint service data from a core network directly through the first network controller or through the first network controller and the second network controller;
Transmitting point-to-multipoint service data to the mobile terminal;
An MBMS method comprising:   The MBMS method of claim 7, wherein the point-to-multipoint service is a multimedia broadcast / multicast service (MBMS).   The MBMS method of claim 7, wherein the point-to-multipoint service data is received directly via the second network controller when the information indicates a point-to-multipoint communication mode.   The point-to-multipoint service data is received through the first network controller and the second network controller when the information indicates a point-to-point communication mode. MBMS method.   The method of claim 7, wherein the information is received in response to a point-to-multipoint service attach request message.   The MBMS method of claim 7, wherein the information is transmitted through a point-to-multipoint service attach response message.   The MBMS method of claim 7, wherein the first network controller is a serving network controller and the second network controller is a drift network controller. A method for providing point-to-multipoint service to a mobile terminal,
When the mobile terminal moves from the first cell controlled by the first network controller to the second cell controlled by the second network controller, the mobile terminal is point-to-point from the first network controller to the second network controller. Transmitting a multipoint service attach request message;
Transmitting information indicating one of a point-to-point communication mode and a point-to-multipoint communication mode provided by the second network controller from the second network controller to the first network controller; ,
In the second network controller, point-to-multipoint service data is transmitted directly from the core network via the second network controller, or transmitted via the first network controller and the second network controller. Receiving step;
Transmitting the point-to-multipoint service data from the second network controller to the mobile terminal.   The MBMS method of claim 14, wherein the point-to-multipoint service is a multimedia broadcast / multicast service (MBMS).   The MBMS method of claim 14, wherein the information is transmitted from the second network controller to the first network controller via a point-to-multipoint service attach response message.   The MBMS method of claim 14, wherein the point-to-multipoint service data is received directly via the second network controller when the information indicates a point-to-multipoint communication mode.   The point-to-multipoint service data is received via the first network controller and the second network controller when the information indicates a point-to-point communication mode. MBMS method.   The MBMS method of claim 14, wherein the first network controller is a serving network controller and the second network controller is a drift network controller. A wireless network subsystem for providing point-to-multipoint service to a mobile terminal,
A transmitter for transmitting point-to-multipoint service data to the mobile terminal and the second wireless network subsystem;
A receiver for receiving information indicating one of a point-to-point transmission mode or a point-to-multipoint transmission mode provided by the second wireless network subsystem;
An information storage unit for storing information related to the transmission mode provided by the second wireless network subsystem;
A point associated with the point-to-multipoint service when the mobile terminal is controlled in a designated area and the mobile terminal moves from the designated area to an area controlled by the second radio network subsystem; A controller that processes information received from the second radio network subsystem to determine whether to transmit two-multipoint service data to the second radio network subsystem;
A wireless network subsystem comprising:   The wireless network subsystem of claim 20, wherein the point-to-multipoint service is a multimedia broadcast / multicast service (MBMS) service.   The radio network subsystem of claim 20, wherein the receiver receives a point-to-multipoint service attach response message including information from the second radio network subsystem.   The radio network sub of claim 20, wherein when the information indicates a point-to-multipoint communication mode, the controller does not transmit the point-to-multipoint service data to the second radio network subsystem. system.   The radio network subsystem according to claim 20, wherein the controller transmits the point-to-multipoint service data to the second radio network subsystem when the information indicates a point-to-point communication mode. .   The radio network subsystem, wherein the first controller is a serving network controller and the second radio network subsystem is a drift network controller. A wireless network subsystem for providing point-to-multipoint service to a mobile terminal,
Point-to-multipoint service data is transmitted to the mobile terminal, and information indicating one of a point-to-point communication mode and a point-to-multipoint communication mode provided by the wireless network subsystem is transmitted to the second wireless network sub A transmitter for transmission to the system;
A receiver for receiving point-to-multipoint service data directly from a core network or from the core network via the second radio network subsystem;
An information storage unit for storing information related to a communication mode provided by the wireless network subsystem;
Point-to-point communication mode or point provided when controlling the mobile terminal in a designated area and moving from the area controlled by the second radio network subsystem to the designated area And a controller for providing information indicating any one of the two-multipoint communication modes.   27. The wireless network subsystem of claim 26, wherein the point-to-multipoint service is a multimedia broadcast / multicast service (MBMS).   27. The wireless network subsystem of claim 26, wherein the point-to-multipoint service data is received directly from a core network when the information indicates a point-to-multipoint communication mode.   27. The radio of claim 26, wherein the point-to-multipoint service data is received from a core network via the second radio network subsystem when the information indicates a point-to-multipoint communication mode. Network subsystem.   The receiver receives a point-to-multipoint attach request message from the second wireless network subsystem, and the controller provides the information in response to the point-to-multipoint service attach request message. Item 27. The wireless network subsystem according to item 26.   The transmitter transmits a point-to-multipoint attach response message from the second wireless network subsystem, and the controller provides the information via the point-to-multipoint service attach response message. 27. The wireless network subsystem according to 26.   27. The radio network subsystem of claim 26, wherein the controller is a drift network controller and the second radio network subsystem includes a serving network controller.

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